It is known to strengthen sheet pilings by means of one or more beams partly driven into the ground adjacent to the sheet piling on the side thereof opposite to the one which is exposed to water or other pressure. The protruding top end of the beam which is usually driven at a slant relative to the sheet piling is then suitably anchored to the sheet piling, usually at the top thereof. T-beams may be used for the purpose, but double T- or I-beams are generally preferable.
Anchoring of the beam to the sheet piling is generally effected by securing one end of a strap such as an elongate steel plate to the sheet piling and the other end of the strap to the beam.
A sufficiently strong attachment of the respective strap end to the beam in the manner as heretofore known and used presents several disadvantages. Driving of the beam into the ground must be effected before one strap end is secured thereto as unavoidably the structural components used for attaching the strap to the beam protrude above the head of the beam and obviously such protruding fastening means would be damaged or even destroyed by the heavy blows required for driving a beam into the ground. Accordingly, it is now standard practice to drive the beam into the ground before attaching the respective strap end to the beam. This eliminates damage to the fastening means, but does require extensive welding operations in situ. Such welding operations are bound to involve overhead welding and such overhead welding is difficult to perform and requires considerable skill on the part of the personnel carrying out the welding operations. The result is that the welding of the strap end to the head of the beam is often not sufficiently strong, and in any event costly.